Olders Fostorians
remember the glass industry that flourished here many years ago, but
to the younger generation, or newcomers, it is perhaps inconceivable
that this town could have had 10 glass manufacturing plants at one time.

The glass industry
that was here was so closely related to the discovert of oil and gas
in this area that it is impossible to separate the two activities at
least, parts of thw two are herewith reported together. Back in the
1880's many wells were drilled for oil, but gas was the by-product.

In 1886 the world-famed
Carg well was struck this side of Findlay. It initially had flow of
20,000,000 cubic feet per day. It reportedly roared and burned with
a flame over a hundred feet high, that could be seen and heard over
a radius of ten miles. It seemed to burn forever. For more than a year
the Lake Erie and Western Railroad ran excursions from distances to
see the marvelous sight.

That event was
the real beginning of glass industry in this are. However, Fostoria
had two glass factories a year before since smaller gas strikes had
been made earlier. All of the area from Bowling Green to Lima, including
Bairdstown, Bloomdale and North Baltimore became boom town as the result
of the oil and gas strikes, and they all suffered reversely when the
wells stopped producing. Findlay was the center of production.

Since gas was
a by-product of the oil wells, and because of its abundance, no one
was farsighted enough to plan for its use, storage or transportation.
The wells were close enough to Fostoria to pipe it here for industrial
and domestic use.

The Northwestern
Ohio Natural Gas Company, with Gov. Charles Foster as its president,
was organized to finance the drilling of more wells and to lay a large
gas main into town, into which industry could tap for FREE gas. $70,000
was raised for the project, and soon the news was spread abroad, and
attracted more glass factories to locate here. Some of the glass factories
were organized by local people.

Gas was made available
for home heating and lighting, and the cost was on $1 per month. In
later years when the supply dwindled, users found it undependable for
winter use. I remember those days,,,and the switch we made to coal when
winter arrived.

Gordon Gray, in
a paper he wrote years ago, described the beauty of the gas street lights
which were installed in Fostoria following the laying of the gas lines
in the city:

"In the early
fall of 1888 when my mother brought my brother Merton and myself to
this fairyland of Fostoria...the impression of the magic city upon my
childhood brain was of lasting duration. Coming in on an early evening
Nickel Plate, we were met at the train by father who drove us through
the streets of this illuminated, magic town of Fostoria. Street lights
twinkled on every corner".

Older Fostorians,
including your editor, remembers those gas lights which continued to
light our streets until 1922. Likewise will we remember Angelo and Frank
Di Cesare who, on bicycles, covered the city morning and evening, lighting
and extinguishing the lights. They were father and uncle respectively
of Julie Di Cesare.

There came a time
during the "gas-days" when it became evident that it was necessary to
harness the precious fuel to enable local industry and residents to
utilize it more effectively. According to Fostorian Edna Hatfield, in
approximately 1888 the facilities for The City Heat and Light Company
were built. She related that her father fell and was injured while working
during construction of the plant.

Your editor has
questioned a number of older residents, and has also searched old manuscripts
to determine the full purpose of the facilities that were built at the
corner of Columbus Avenue and East Crocker street for the City Heat
and Light Company. Unable to find a full explanation, it is determined
that the large tank, shown in the accompanying photo was used for storage
of gas, and the large building housed facilities for pressurizing it.
Unquestionably, the magnitude of the gas supply and its utilization
made it necessary for a corve of workers to install and maintain gas
lines, meters etc. for which the building was also used.

By the turn of
the century the Logan Natural Gas and Fuel Co. had come into existence
and was piping gas into Fostoria to supplement the dwindling supply
of gas from local wells. For many years the local office for Logan Gas
was in the room now occupied by Holden Coin Shop on East North Street
in the Botto Building. Ed Leppard was the local manager of Logan Gas.

What about the
glass factories that flourished in Fostoria at the same time of the
gas boom? Well, that's the second part of this story, which will appear
in the weeks ahead.